« The Vanished Podcast

Akia Eggleston

2019-04-28

On May 3, 2017, 22-year-old Akia Eggleston was seen in Baltimore, Maryland on surveillance video withdrawing money from her bank account. She was 8 months pregnant with her second child and was unable to drive or even walk more than a short distance because her pregnancy was considered high-risk. After this bank transaction, Akia was never seen again. She was preparing to move to a new apartment and was planning her baby shower where she would share the gender of her baby with those she loved. Akia had two-year-old daughter, a son on the way, and her whole life in front of her. What happened to Akia after this bank transaction on May 3?

If you have any information about Akia’s disappearance, you can call the Baltimore Police Department at 443-984-7385 or 410-396-2100. You can leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 866-756-2587. Alternatively, you can contact the FBI at 410-265-8080.

UPDATE: In February of 2022, the father of Akia's unborn child, Michael Robertson, was arrested for the murder of Akia and her unborn son. This story is still developing, and we hope to bring you an update in the future.

You can follow Akia’s story on social media at Missing Akia Eggleston

Special thanks to Claudia Rivero and Rosemary Rade. You can find more of Claudia's work at https://www.claudiariverotv.com. For more information on the National Domestic Violence Hotline, please visit https://www.thehotline.org.

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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hey prime numbers, you can listen to the vanished ad free on amazon, music download. The today. the. She just had a lot going on for herself say she has a large one on for about a matter. We're gonna talk about her in the patent. Egypt, be. Why is the long. things being her now her grandmother com, When is it, did you know a cube of missing and he called me at work, and I'm like what are you talking about? What do you mean she's missing every pull it up or law, and there's this you're being met and so thats, where everything the one has her heard from her: nothing one thing I do know about her that she would never leave her daughter and her younger sister and brother national.
In a mirror they kept saying. I will she's an adult, she can walk away, we're thinking or what eight month, woman, you know unheard bade fate is, get up and walk all. We called on a hot butter who called the more people birthing center. We call a homeless shelter as we call it everywhere, giving description than nothing Every time we go. We always talk to people when they should have never even heard of her story and it's like well. How can you not hear her story? It's four houses down from where you live at people there had been living by the time she went missing. I guess it's just the perseverance of not stopping genesis.
Everyday thing. We wake up thinking about her or go to bed thinking about her. We call each other at lunch thinking about her. But at this point right now, this family just doesn't have a closure and, having her, you know, come home if she is busy having her body to begin. Lay her read in a proper burial and if she is alive to get her back and give her the the love and encouragement that she to recover from it, but you can hardly know tat. He had to have medical attention to have her child and at the capacity that she was in which she could barely war. She could do to meetings for herself that if somebody did take her and we just have to keep pushing the hopefully a deadly some long, you'll get a continental war. Now maybe make a dead anonymous phone call our king had lived. I can't do this anymore
on may third, two thousand seventeen twenty two year old kia Eggleston was last seen on surveillance. Video withdrawing money from your bank account in baltimore maryland Was eight months pregnant with her second child and was unable to drive or even walk more than a short distance? Because, Her pregnancy was considered high risk and she had been put on bed rest after this bank transaction ikea was never seen again. She preparing to move to a new apartment and was planing her baby shower, where she was excited to announce the gender of her new baby with those she loved a key a two year old daughter and a sun on the way, with her whole life in front of her, what happen to a key exhaustion and her baby after this bank transaction on may. Third, amerika and from wonder this is episode. One hundred and seventy three of the vanished, a key existence story,
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Father Sean, as well as his wife Angelique, who join family after work? He is mother, passed away, a key There are two year old daughter and was eight months pregnant with a baby boy. At the time she went missing she was excited to host her baby shower on may seventh, two thousand seventeen you plan to share the gender of her new baby at the shower spite her high risk, pregnancy and being placed on bed rest until her due date, a king, Spirits remained high and she was very excited to have her second child. But mickey I didn't show up for her own baby shower family members knew something was wrong. We spoke to He has parents for the story and this when her stepmom angelique shared about what was going on in a key life before she disappeared. oh my Dennis alive wire, small, fast, easy, the low short person the full of life platter, Energy, really really sweet girl. She
I'll, give you the shirt off her back if she had it just a really give person big heart, just a spitfire, thus didn't take any method of any body. The bird arm differ. If we girl a little fashion, easter love to do her hair and make up just a little beauty queen and her own bright, a dancer. firing model. She just had a lot going on for herself the key Step stepfather sean has been the central father figure in her life, since she was a child we asked him to tell us more about. He has personality and life. She was a very likeable person to do anything and turned anybody's character with one who would do for you before, Deborah so she didn't have a lot bush a kind heart. One day I will say that notion. She always liked to be around,
children she loved to be around children about that wanna, her hopeful. hopeful desires to be, in the realm of children doing day care of some sort or child child development. Social kids, and that's one the day that she was very big, honest, loving children. She was there a great dancer, no She did modeling when she was younger in you know, does a young person charter. Where do you live? is very petite at only four eleven inches tall and about one hundred pounds, her doctor had put her on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. sean told us more about that. Well, how principles harbours, because you know how to see what the darker sober and her baby was breached. So this was her second, child that was would have been necessary. Syrian baby. Her first daughter was the syrian as well. So this baby
but in the same boat. She was pregnant, first daughter. She was unhappy for a good many weeks before she came home from the hospital, but the baby, so is. There the second issue is the bridge baby or he was a bridge baby delivers a here and there the doctors either one or to take it easy, and she was in a pretty taking it easy for them all she was working so was it really is. ready to have the child, and we will excited and waiting for him to be born the the baby try to come early but the hospital they stopped her labour income in the first time. No one is certain exactly when a key had disappeared. On the evening of may third, two thousand seventeen a kia is seen on surveillance, video at a bank near her home the key was unable to drive so late in her pregnancy and had
placed on bed. Rest, a friend drove her to the bank where she withdrew several hundred dollars, angelique shared what happened over those few days prior to a key is baby shower, scheduled on the seventh. The day that she disappeared, allegedly made third, a friend had taken her. to the bank undertakings. Of the money for a place that deposit to live with her at the time new baby father. And there's some bank book out there. That friend took her back her home after they made their transactions and ask them time anyone had seen her all of social media stopped or made third everything stop and may sabbath she was, israel for her baby shower, and I would wish she was have the baby shower and I would say, on debt tuesday my husband received a call from her grandmother saying a key is missing
we were supposed to go to the baby shower, but my mom was getting out of the hospital that same day from back surgery. They released her that day to a rehabilitation facility, so they'll be weren't, gonna, make it to baltimore attack and It's so crazy how everything happened. All at the same time fell out bad. The family collectively got together and we decided we were going to do a search for her, and I believe that may have been a few days. The word that saturday, and we went to chairing he'll park. We canvas the neighbourhood we made up our own flyers and we just went Jim for her. Her friends did the dumb diving, my husband got into the water along that park, but cheery who, apart with this ceiling, you, the marine safety when they are looking for her. We were out there entire day searching and came up with. Nothing is closely
where she lived pretty much almost walking distance. Maybe I guess what ten minutes you would say shall yet like maybe a two minute walk is a real quick walk. God forbid some we had put her over there. We just didn't know what to think We didn't know where to look. She didn't drive at the time, have transportation she's eight sprang the entire breath, but the breach baby she deadly one gonna be walking anywhere. None of her friends gave her a ride. No one family gave her a ride anywhere. So what happened? bank statement are showing we think that she took out. Are you or anything like that? So something went wrong there. he didn't really get involved. To be honest, with you until probably do and that work when we found out we ve found out They decided they were gonna pull about play in june when the baby wasn't born, but we and telling them that all along that path B, I got involved to help they pretty much
Read the reward and they are there to do things that both were police cannot fail, call a spade out, tell us anything, like we have the pretty much and again them all the time. An issue. them with one of the most frustrating things possible wins. Disappeared. Ikea was in the process of moving to a new residents with the man who is believed to be the father of her second baby, one of them. Aspects of her disappearance that sean and angelique fine strange is what was found in her home and what wasn't from What we were told was that there were some there wasn't so that was missing from cloning, was missing. And it would have seen likes it was made. for her to look like she was moving out now. We know that she couldn't move anything So if she was going to move out.
someone would have had to helped her move out there. May say the dated her her best male friend who was the one just about a lot of things for her far driving her around say he didn't help from about or move any that they are without a home. Other friends They have not helped or did not help her moving out of the hole, so We know that it is too many coincidences I dont know and again. Oh, I wish I could read what the police reports they about who the interviewed and what they said, because Lastly, I would have remain you know the roommate and her and her friend I was living there. You know they would have been the first bird on the case sidney by moving out. The community. Has she lives in its pretty busy, and I would have to assume if someone in the night and day and other people coming and going up and work in the school when it was just-
very busy community, the somewhat see should be moved out it at home, but our problem next to a trash been so having withdrawn in air, because we don't know what the dumps to schedule was one there was, she were missing. I don't know when I picked up there dumb circle or whatever the case may be. Then, in the apartment converse with dead, they said the cameras were broken. How can be the camels always broken, when we know what they like this happen, there was a look does he was thought on a bus, but that was that that was that was found to be a fallacy. There. Nobody target into a car, no less argh into a cab. there's nobody has seen her do anything besides the debate, is that they have her I'm getting the money on the meda third. Nevertheless, visual with that. We saw her
His family has run into another frustrating challenge when it comes to talking to those who were in her life around the time she went missing. The friend who drove her to the bank or may third has since passed away after a battle with chronic illness, while forest lee, the young lady. They dropped her all tat day. She is now deceased, so please If they didn't interview, her was the another day they told me they did they. Can there talk to her again, unfortunately deceived ever got remember something again. She was a closer the key is. Older other should odor young lady that was held on a key out. She passed away the data went to her home at the privilege we had. We been. the some items to get to the point, if that were in her home, but they wouldn't taken. the said it was could of a custody. A lot of bad things about what was going on this case, because at some point at the key were missing,
I can't take debbie when we found that there was waters living in her home, because at one point Friends went into the home and the was one locked so but when I went in and they saw You know the houses, in a wreck, door's locked and you get hell somebody had still been stay in air again, we don't know how long the He held it as a crime scene. Turned back over to the apartment. Complex but we know that only did her. Second visual, that's for me Somebody had moved back in because the young lady was living. There allowed us to was her. Let's go outlet for our pa, the midday, and then right at the dead vigil. Without a billiard young lady who lived ass, she moved out. He found out what happened That was my daughter. I stay sword tell me where the community we will
We are told that nobody was still living in that debt corner apartment, but I went to town home We believe that she told that that area for action, immobile reasons as being a single young lady, living on her own financially. That was what she could afford live in- that in that area. So that's why we think she was living there, but her grandfather, and I we always question while she won t live over there. I always wondered about, if I had a roommate Even if we didn't talk over didn't see each other every day or without even a b, I would know one. There was something different, but This day, no one has come forth about that was removed from the home, the cold there was removed from the home or yet article two was removed from the home again, she couldn't movie by herself and when she could barely wall so
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I am sure if anyone had been able to paying the last location on a key, has phone orbit. a copy of her cell phone records. This is He told us. Every time we go down there we always ask them: did they ever find her phone? They said they never found her phone, but they pulled her phone records. She was on her. well planned and actually we He tried to get those from theme, or will we try to call so we can get it, but they say we didn't have authorization to get out. Now I didn't have her password to get her phone rock. We don't have many details about the man who is believed to be the father of a key has unborn child. We know that his name is andrei. He has many years older than a kia and they met through mutual friend. we also know that andrei has several other children and had a girlfriend at the time of the key is disappearance who was also pregnant with his child The police have not named any persons of interest in a key s disappearance, but a key,
family, feels that andrei has acted in a suspicious manner. We about a year because he fell off the grid once she disappear, any fell off the ground, facebook, social media. His job everything his family, either older than her More like very fitting that leave us let him through one of her best friend, I'm one of her bare. The brands there she's known for a long time since she was a little girl and actually that first cabin But he is my husband childhood He grew up with my hand, his grasp that young man grandmother babies tat my husband and his brothers, their pain, These are intertwined. Fortunately, but here call me he had met tried to help anything then he has the beyond say believing believe he have another baby. So
you know like how about her, but look a key or at least call and give you now show some kind of empathy that you care andrei insurance families have known each other for many years, so Sean has struggled with how to best approach Andre we sean if he has tried to contact andre to get some answers You told me bluntly that they don't want open to him. I've tried to reach out to him several times. I don't care what they tell me I know in my heart, and he knows something about what happened to appeal: now. I understand he did it using them every day, but he is he knows more than when he told them. There are too many. Coincidentally is about what happened with a clear and and the girlfriend that he's he was now on the piazza. Whatever she ought to be in his eyes ass. He is so many girls so many children by so many different women
I don't know how many love you or what he had some people, but I promise without the help of a media. When it first happen, I've got it family they find out had they heard from him. They have cut him off as well. No I've spoken to his mother. Over to his brothers, I pulled into his arms spoke to his own. Do it's not like they don't know who I am, though, every step Them and they say: well, we don't talk to him like any more because of x y leaving that he's done to them the family between stealing do another danes, the old almost like, no mad families completely disappeared off the grid. Recently, he was one I guess his profile popped up for a short time frame. in a stated that he was in arizona who paper get their number here were missing,
they're gonna quit his job. I mean quit his quick. and the young lady he's with apparently her family doesn't like her being with him either like he has a brainwashed or something like that because I have no evidence and I can't you know I can say this: is smoking gun? I can't say he d for sure, but it is too what's a day or if you look at all the things that have happened since she was missing here. Up to the baby shower, he was supposed to be there used to be making food for the baby shower. He didn't show up here respond to any body to date, as she would missing, or if he did. He said he was it. I was a baby shower, is all about. We can't get in contact with them Call anybody he's not reach not in his own children that he has done talking to his parents is mom is brothers. You guys he's pops up here and I also for media anything with the young lady he's with Chopin
up here now. Social media is to too many the pointed them, but you know it's almost like you wish. You could see Please don't what they used to watch tv. take him to a roman swam down in. the normal, but it is, it is hard. does it for me, because I know the guy it's not like, I don't know him. I know him. I know his family. I grew up with his family, I have really close ties with them and to know that he may have been the last person to see my daughter, This is very, is very unsettling, especially with the circumstances at hand. But him having so many other children before her. so many other young ladys he's been with, and we returnees who certainly seen against him is world
like you, ve gotta be helped, but you can't say that, because I know there's no evidence is set up that there was to meet. You did not think that, but there no evidence. You know the police said it question him in time. They do having a girlfriend and tell the people that associated with them. mind boggling, that you here breaking a child. Would this young lady you lived in her house he's taken unanimously supported. You know she's good food it will be that everything everything else for you, but you the day she goes missing. You make no contact to the baby shower people, You you respond with comments about, I'm not come in or whatever the case may be, and then what a grid. So, please had to go, find him to get him in there to question him. We know social media that the young lady than he was
tat. He was with us at the same time. With my daughter The young lady that hurt my daughter had some heads alone, between them about him. The young lady mason threats to my daughter. She must invest in my granddaughter about which she was a lie and some other things. But again sulphur media is, it can be to buy the stone the police day? Hey it's not enough and would they have told us that that they did try to charge them with anything? If it didn't there will be no double can't go back in time, no charge him again, so My opinion is that there really waiting for a body of some sort concrete evidence to say that somebody did it.
dont know for certain. If this man is the father of a key is unborn child because they never got a chance to perform a paternity test. reasonable to say that his actions have not been above board. A key is family told us that he has up to nine children with different women and information that has publicly available america's case search indicates multiple cases where he is the subject of child custody cases. Is there or to the story Did he have motive to hurt a kia. While I was researching this case, I reached out to baltimore police department, hoping that the investigators assigned to a key as case would grant an interview after molten request via email and telephone spanning sixty day period. The bolt or police department granted us a short phone call in which they did not share any information about the key s disappearance. We ve been told by a key as family that the case is under the purview of the homicide division, though the,
actors we spoke to would not confirm this to say that the missing persons unit had requested the assistance of homicide detectives the detector, We spoke to didn't, want to comment publicly on any of the aspects of a key, a story that we ve covered here. But He did ass, that anyone with information about accuse disappearance call the baltimore homicide division at for one zero, three, nine six, twenty one hundred. his parents, have experienced similar frustration with the lack of communication by police and share but that has been like for them. I mean they thought there they were doing their investigation because the first it was with missing persons. We weren't the hearing from them. They thing you now her cases in homicide, cold case, and we were all just taken aback like Where do you mean I sent home a guy? We thought it would be still missing. Then they said. Well, you know, what's the baby
both in born dan. They decided they were gonna move over to that division, but you didn't tell us that fell being a ban on unravelling really, bad in a bad light with them. Every time we meet with them, there is never any communication. Her grandfather had called them without responses, we called them without responses. We ve had a few basic base meetings with them but it never really goes well. There ought. They always say what we re doing our investigative work, but yet we found her a card at the fourth. Virtual that we did for her the first year. She appeared also shared? His experiences in attempting to talk to the baltimore police detectives assigned to a key has case worth almost bottle, activists said he had nothing new that everybody pulled off her case to go, something else, but we knew there was a problem,
when, after three months, I think of not and occasionally body in contact. What does it say or will we work in another case where you get there With tellers were always working on her case, it can't be. Ways so You learn or not,. he's never in the office. When I call I've called- and call back to three days later. If he called back at all we know that and are working on it every day. It's just it's just a fact of life. As a police officer, you have a lot of hats. You have to wear, so I'm not expecting you work on every day, but hey at least give an update Why am I calling you asking for not day? Why? Don't you call me and say: hey? We had no new updates to development. Who is called, let you know there were still working on that. Quite understandable that we don't get it all. I put you like this when we went down to the police station that's long ago from the of the who's or do the night. You know that
to date, they have offered the rotating rotate out and I mean did they come in they certain time and lily so when you have their type of turnover turn around and you're in your precinct or you're division. You, you never have a consistent coming in people. Staying mahogany investigate anything, though you really already don't trust the police they don't have a bond with the community at all if we don't have a bomb with outsiders. That's why wife, and I am blackened missing. We to protestants, in the community is often can today. We try to gain that poor with you you heard Angelique mentioned that a key as bank card had been discovered. Several months after a key vanished, a vigil was held in her honor outside the apartment she had been preparing to leave the evening of the visual. Something very strange happened: angel shared what she remembers, the fur here
disappeared, happily believe that timber of twenty seventy Their bank card was behind the shrub house by actually my best friend she thought She found it on the ground and my husband went down. We are behind the shrub and kicked it with this work because nobody wanted to touch it and compromise ever that, so we contacted them for a while. They were over to the visual they promised at the many didn't tom, though We call them said hey. We found the bank card, no one's call it my husband back, they call us would, with two hours later saying: hey, can we got your message? Can you bring it to us? like no eleven Gutenberg maryland we're not gonna, be able to come out the blood. more thirty nine. At night I mean we recall a youth of the meda come out the next day and put the carbon. On the ground, where we found it to do the whole for the big bang, the key
Stepfather Sean also shared his recollection of the events of that evening and the reason he certain that a key as bankcard wasn't there when she disappeared. Well on the day of her upper visual that we had at her home, my wife's friend he was sitting on a porch were where the homework he'll live there, animal feed happen, love is look over and see the card in the bush. and so I ran over my jumped over the porch railing and I looked at the are not left over in. It was her card so immediately. We thought well well, look at this. You know this was the timber, And human amazed- or you start thinking everything that you get, they will hardly cod get here. His car get mist and all the time that the police have been the home. How did the car miss you know? the time that her room was still stand. There had the key- give miss no,
Why didn't anybody see this? Is there wasn't like it was under time No one aground wasn't there wasn't a lot arraigned at the time, so what David? You think about? How did that? these mistakes- it they say they read the home- It wasn't whether at all it was clearly, I would say was I planted there for some of the facts. I am sure if the police had searched the homework he had been living with a roommate. And say that I didn't happen, but where I can say is that the police stated that they were at that home and this was coming from the bottom of the police and the f b, I the posted that they read at home with a forensic photographer and they said that That was not there when they came so there wasn't there when they came. Here today on the day. The visual happened first vigil happen. Obviously somebody put it there now. The question is who and for what purpose? Do they do it
we don't know or did even look behind the porch. In the end, the boy Stephen see that that was there, because we, never seen any of the pictures that they said they took from the home, where my daughter live. That and we know that for a period of time when she went missing, but there were people still live in the home even up until the point For the last time we were in the neighborhood. The whole was, I guess, was of data at the madonna missing, but We don't know how long it was like that into the if the company who own the property we you know they they painted and did whatever, but- life and are always ask ourselves The police do fingerprinting that they going to the fingerprint today. The day. Does you need to do a all that they have done there. We
we saw them. There was a photographer the one time when it came about the car, so we really dont know what they did her home, we ve. Never the picture that they ve taken. But we know that there were people in and out of her home, including a legit Print Andre he there. She has some other friends, she had taken in to live there. She had a room at the time. I believe, Please you talking to all of these people. You know you said it. They been reviewed, hundreds of people in her in her missing persons case we still believe that somebody saw something for the reasons that are beyond my my thought, while they were if anything There still is still gets me to this day. With a challenging relationship with law enforcement. A key his family is doing everything they possibly can to make sure that the community knows who she is and what she looks like sean
What more about their efforts well, we're getting ready to plan are two year for this year my wife and I we ve taught that we actually thought about it. Last year dead on the weekend of her disappearance, we'd like to into the community, again and this year we'd like to do a or other than the one. The jericho and you know, get as many peoples we can in the community friends family friend, whom I would like to come out and do a jericho walk around at community level. Pass out flyers, and just Keep her name and her face as has been said in this relevant in the community. again we have found, as the saying goes on from day to day, and about our final, who is really with you, and this is unfair.
in this situation. I love I care about a here, unfortunately, will sit down turn a fight to find her, and I think this is the this is the bad part of life. Then people go on living an aim that it contained a life but those who are close to it, even though they think about it. Lot of don't have any action behind trying to find her. This is unfortunate, And then that lessons in front every day like it is with my wife, and I You know, I truly believe it's kind of hard for life would you, like you, said, focus on her being. Again, I believe that a lot of people think about her every day and they love her Anyone and her to come home but come down to action it is more than what they can do for whatever case may be about anybody else, but is all
those who led the parents or the sisters of the brothers were still fighting, Look for her. Do you also dang? Then and I'm not just where we are. You know we don't seems like we don't get a lot of help. I is unfortunate, but now we do what we can do in if we get one day accomplish today, will. You know it's good day but same time as when we hear people say man, you gotta know you guys have done the best visual that we ever seen were you guys, is contained a push where'd. You go have done a great job of not out flyers or contain name out their social media. or will we did the balloon lilies for her birthday last year we have buttons made for her and we buttons everywhere we go so We just continue to push and it's the it's the little things that we see you know we may see. Somebody else do it and we just try to take but I've gotta magnified keep her name out there. We are
his ex god, know like tonight, but I'm on I'll talk with my wife and I'll say what is god going to do? Next, you know is he going to do next and every time we ask that question he does something. Next, you know we will get another energy will do something else for another happen, but were really right now is reliant on him to keep us going and asking him to do. they give us closure. The Do you want to lose weight woody You could lose an average of fifteen percent of your body weight and keep it off because at row losing an average of fifteen percent of your body. Weight is possible from starting weight of two hundred pounds. You could lose as much as thirty pounds a year go to ro dot, co, slush, lower, complete
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People who has worked with them is journalist, claudia rivero. You hurt Claudia before in episode? Forty three of the show covered the disappearance of Jan tell Johnson Claudia was kind enough to speak with us again to discuss. The work she has done on a case by case and what her experiences have been. My aim is clear, ribeiro, I'm a freelance reporter and I mostly go on missing persons, cases or unsolved crime. We put a lot of time and research into our work for my website. butter, Ribeiro Tita come and a clear existence. This is one of the job, is that we are somewhat pond in two thousand haven't seen when she banished surveillance, I'm in may of two thousand seventeen, and we started looking into this. Why? Because others see it immediately caught my attention, the survey, twenty two,
a young woman who is eight and a half or eight months, pregnant, she's, thirty five weeks into a hybrid pregnancy and she felt off the face of the earth and hasn't been seen or heard from again and again, Now people don't just disappear. Someone obviously knows what's happened, this young woman ended were coming up on two years and she vanished, and it doesn't seem that there are any closer to solving this case. This was pretty much a full term baby that we're talking about. So make a really really troubling troubling case. I thought I actually on Mine- and I thought well that's interesting. I've been to this young woman she's about to have this baby Then I said, looking more into it and her family, we reached out- and said: hey, you know we're trying to get the word out about a clear, missing,
She didn't show up to her baby shower and she didn't sought through a doctor's appointment. We nobody, but he has heard from her. They were obvious extremely. trimly concerned, and then the day is that they approached when her baby shower was supposed to take place, which was on me. Seven to two thousand. Seventeen by the way was be shower that she planned and had put a deposit down on the she was paying for her own baby shower according to her family and then. they come, then everyone- showing up except the guest of honor at kia she's, not there. She knows we found and no one could reach her they're calling her. She back kicking up the phone, and you know that when this I'm with nightmare began. when they went to the house's when they were trying to get a hold of her the day of the shop. she wasn't showing up. They go to the house, where she was living which in the south, but this help out more in the cherry he'll section of tat baltimore and
but her town, home and others nothing in their other than a bad, and I think a couple of dresser. So all of her stuff is gone now think about it. This is the twenty two year old who is under five feet. oh she's eight and a half months pregnant, it's a hybrid pregnancy in she supposed to be on better west. Does it make sense for her to have been all too often by the way he doesn't have a car, so does it makes sense that she left on around that she was able move oliver belonging that of her apartment. It doesn't make any sense. So Finally, when her family reported her missing in their initial investigation, baltimore police believe that you know Maybe she left on her own. Perhaps she she's, an adult. It's not against the law to leave, even if you're, pregnant and medical care, it's not against the law. To leave right. If you don't want contact with someone it's not against the law, so initially they thought she may have.
on her own, her family. It just didn't fit well with them at all I mean this is again she's, eight and a half months pregnant He doesn't have a car she supposed to be on paragraph also her family, she was struggling with their pregnancy and most of all, she would not have abandoned her daughter. Her two year old daughter plus is important. I think to mention that baltimore police confirmed to me when I spoke to them that occur echo. That did not happen story of running away. She did not have any run in with law enforcement. There were no records of her. There was no education, for example, that see that says that she had a drug addict. in the or any reason that you may have prompted her to leave on her up. There is no history of that. On top of that, she's there active on social media, very, very active, her family
that. Her friends knew that and then all of a sudden it stops. So when you put all of those things together, It's no wonder that her family said wait a minute. What do you mean she left on around? This doesn't make any sense claudia also shared which she knows about the key, is habits her living situation at the time and how our kind spirit and generous heart could have caused her harm when we started doing a story. Looking into it, we realise that it became clear that it seems clear was with very private, although she was very busy on social media. She was very active on social media when it came to lot of her personal life. It seems that she was private and So there is a lot there that doesn't you know that that it seems that Her family didn't really know everything. What's going on in her life, which I guess that unusual right I mean she's twenty two every time
two year old is going to share absolutely everything but they're, with their dad or or their parents et cetera as far as living arrangements. My understanding is that she had different roommates and that she was a very generous per and there she often allowed to come stay friends of hers and then the friends would bring their friends were her girlfriends would bring, thereby boyfriends sunday in a clear, was sort of allow all these folks to live with, and the pain the building, and so it seems but she was vulnerable. It is kind of what I get. She was vulnerable and perhaps an easy target, you know, maybe she was used a lot because she was the one that had the house. She was the one that had the was paying the bills. In the family and acquaintances, that we have spoken with
and so our understanding is that she had their work. From people coming that had stayed with her You know coming and going, and so it's hard to say We believe that lived with her at some point, while she was at that count, home in jericho. There are a lot I spoke with her family. One of the things that stood out is that you she had gone through a lot. She feel ever siblings and her mother was diagnosed with fab terminal illness. and sheep. She passed away and a clear accordingly family. It was really hard on her because she was very, very close to her mom so that loss with very very hard on her and we said she be after her mother passed away. She became very reserved, it s really hard, and so perhaps she did that independence of being on her own.
able to to have her own place. To start doing. own thing, but again it seems to me just I want to research to the people. I talked to him, but not that she was the private about a lot of a lot of things and that she did have some issues with, but the father of her daughter also see person is believed to be the father of her born baby, but what is consistent with everyone Who is that she was really exist: it about her baby? She and picked out a name for him. You know again. She organised and put a deposit down for her own baby shower had been in contact with her. Family and friends and the days leading up to that big shower. Her dolphins, in fact, were supposed to help her get ready for for the big day, you're, not supposed to help her get her hair down and angles, and what not and then she just issues Would it be found really bizarre. Claudia
ports on missing persons to try to bring their stories forward in the media as I do with this show she sure key is family deserves to know what happened to her and whites nearly impossible that she just left on her own as the anniversary approaches, whoever does know something that person that does know something or people that no something may be, maybe they'll, you don't get the strength to come forward pick up there, phone and call the baltimore police department. I really passionate about these cases because you know I worked in news and edit it sometimes it's hard to to get attention to these cases. Out of the town. The people that are reported missing. Most of them, thankfully, are found. You know, that's that's the good news, but the bad news is that there is always a small percentage of people that just don't come home and of that percentage and even smaller percentage of them
get national media coverage. I mean it as a handful of cases a year that guy media coverage, and I think I wish that that would change made will. You know now that we have access, obviously to more platform. On social media and other other platforms as well. This case, I think it is a pity the example because maybe if it had received more media coverage immediately. When the family reported her missing me, it would have made a difference. We will never know, but perhaps it would have made a difference as she would been found and brought home the first forty eight hours, it's like, if you don't find them in that first period of time, those first hours? not impossible, not to say you're, not gonna find them, but it gets harder. Obviously, but in this case I don't you in case I haven't stressed that I would really like to stress this part. They occur from speaking too long
smith, she not have a history. Being you for an extended period of time without contact in family or friends. She was very active on social media, didn't have a car, and so all of those things at an airing them all up. It paints a different picture it does make a wonderful. Why would she have been labelled as someone who possibly left on her own way look at all those things that paper, it doesn't make any sense at least It doesn't make any sense. When you look at social media mean it really has become like. I think, that's the first place where detectives go these days, someone goes missing or in a crime happens. Where do you go you gotta social media? So if this was someone who was posting on her, facebook page on a daily basis. According to family, and find she's a barrier bonnet and then all of a sudden, it starts that right. There should give you some pause, because
it's so out of the ordinary. Does it make sense that she was able to pool With this off on her own. I don't I just very bad again, because they did the we have gone through a lot. That's a lot of our mother. Now, a kia and her baby, All of them gone within a short period of time and its and undoubtedly it has taken its toll on the family and so Only with the more coverage that this case get to know you No, maybe somebody will would do the right thing Those working on the story I couldn't help but think that a key I may have been a victim of domestic violence because she was pregnant Could someone have wanted to make sure that she didn't have her baby? We can't Did a domestic violence expert named rosemary roddy rosemary works at the national domestic violence hotline. she shared more about who she is and the work that she does so
rosemary roddy and the director of digital services. Here, the national domestic violence hotline- I've been, the hotline for about eleven years total. I was student and a friend I am talking about opportunity at levers, respect opened levin respect in two thousand and seven, and so I came on. right when we opened it will be seen dating a piece helping. Then we had launch. We were the first. I think the risk there too, to be in the realm of talking to young people about what healthy you relationships? Look like! Really enjoy the work, and I think it really powerful We do every day, the oliver services, twenty four seven, and so we have a phone services hotline that text, all the men. Their department, I'm over is digital services, and so we offered twenty five. crisis. Wine and then twenty four hour crisis tat, one So what we know is that being pay
or a ten year could be so partner that you're pregnant can increase the risk of violence and in a relationship that submissive, oftentimes, the partners that are controlling they want to control. What happens with you howdy even being of control that can cause the abuse to increase potentially or escalate. you ve heard me cover cases in the past, where woman who was pregnant, disappeared under suspicious circumstances included. The stories of Amanda K, jones, gentile, johnson and kelsey, showing while we don't know for certain that any of these women or a key was the victim of a violent crime. It certainly seems like a pregnant woman, is at a higher risk for victimization, one the questions we wanted to ask rosemary was causes and abuser to want to harm a pregnant woman and her unborn child. This what she had to say. If the money is
and it s, a relationship is very likely that there be some partner has abused previous partners, what This happens in those relationships, though, is that the abusive partner wool blame their partner for babies they are experiencing and make I feel like there- the one that's causing it there, the only one that there they ve ever treated like this man that somehow the different, and so that can really make the person that end it feel like it is their faults or that there doing something that causes person to be abusive to them. I think a lot of people when they hear domestic rail. they often think that is needed, The measures that are out there in the media are women black eyes or just really The boy, injuries and domestic violence is more than just physical violence. It's about power, how about emotional bees, financial control. All of those things can be going on in a relationship. Without me, nickel violence happening and other still really impact for cuba. People at it
painting them and still really imaging when people see people in an abuse, the relationship and and they're, not quite ready or willing to leave their partner. So there can be a lot of reasons for that there can be children involved. There can be financial control involved. They could, you know, just feel like it's there followed in that they need to fix it. maybe there's something that they can do to change it when those things come up, people that are being that thing like ok, they're saying in it. They bring it on themselves and I think that common feeling, sometimes that friends and family might have, because do you know that the person, the abuse can be really isolated, not really to them for help, and so it can be of those things. partner, gets pregnant and their abusive partner feel like they're out of control of what's going on with them? It may be their partners getting more attention,
pregnant. Everyone is kind of surrounding you with love, and that could make no piece of partner really jealous. We did about reproductive coercion, which can involve tampering. birth control causing to lose a pregnancy potentially because me Maybe the partner didn't want them to get pregnant. You know, try just control their reproductive choices options, and so that can be a motivator again. It go back power and control. Where it about in control of of their partner and an jealousy either pregnant women get a lot of attention and community support, and you know she's gonna be focused on her baby in her body and the changes that are happening? And so can take away from its attention from my piece of partner that could cause I feel even jealous of the baby.
Finally, we ask Rosemary what anyone can do to support a loved one who may be in an abusive relationship trying not judge them or their choices. If you talk about the abusive partner on the behaviour and not talking get to read about them, because I think it is sometimes family first can go into the realm of. Well he's no good, for you were. why you with them, and it's kind of blaming make them for their choices of partner and so family members. It's really important to just try to not be mental, be supportive members can be really instrumental in safety planning with a victim the river whose experiencing abuse? So if you're, if your friend or family, is pregnant in a relationship that can be an especially dangerous time and soda could be. Each time to try to think he planned with them. There could be options for them at their premium visit if, if their able to go to the doctor
That can be other ways that they can reach out for help. So it really is about what the person in the relationship wants to do family members being available can be a huge thing and staying available, there's gonna be likely chance that they're gonna go back into relationship even if they leave for it back into the main relationship. Even if they do you believe it can exert family members and friends if you've taken huge steps to support someone getting out of it. But just Being available taking care of yourself, you know it Getting frustrated with the situation can be important So what happened to a clear after she was seen on surveillance, video on may third, two thousand seventeen would She chooses to walk away from her daughter. Is it impossible that she could be out there. She was in need of medical treatment, did someone want to hurt a kia. Why was your debit card found in a bush? So many months later, seemingly on weathered,
why hasn't the man who is believed to be the father of a key is baby help to look for her, and why has felt the need to go off the grid. When a key, disappeared. She was under the impression that they were moving in together and got money out for a down payment that's some kind of trap. The clear, even know about his other girlfriend, and did he truly plan to move in with her at the time of her disappearance. A key existence was twenty, two years old. She approximately four foot, eleven inches tall and wait around one hundred pounds. his black hair and brown eyes and was due to give birth, to a baby boy in june of two thousand seventeen a key has attached to of cherries on her left, shoulder blade and attack to of building blocks with the name emory on her upper left arm. If you any information about a key? Is disappearance? Please
call the baltimore police department at four for three: ninety four, seven, three, eight five or for one zero: three, nine six, twenty one hundred. and also leave an anonymous tip with crime stoppers at eight six, six, seven, five, six, two five, eight seven! You can contact the f b, I at four one: zero, two, six, five, eight, oh eight! Oh you can follow a kia story on social media at missing a key or eggleston so? It is one of by cat and mouse what they told us was that her case first came about missing persons detect do he said that each year to transfer it to them, because he didn't have the resources to look at the case, so when it had been, we as a family did not know that whoever was transferred. The homicide ended a vision that did it was true.
Here too, the court case portion of it it just because that's the vision that the detective be transmitted to was part of those not merely to set it up. Ok, homicide came by it was transferred to the the vision of day at ever resources at the time. But the only thing did do we dislike my wife, and I is that ok basic you, like the goat or the greatest of all time police officer ever in that division and when they claimed they claimed it. Whenever you say his name, people's eyebrows raise up in the station, but my my problem is that he is the greatest of all time. Please doctor, why hasn't he solved this case, yet
That's that's our issue. They told us about how great years all the things we've done. I could care less about your actually. He he, the older police officer that he's been on the horse, long enough, that my wife and I been living over forty five years. None taken the time to be met with him. He's only had like one or two other people working in the division with him, and they told us that the old police officers model division, light from the cottage then from undercover and wherever to work on her case when it first happened, but now that it's year and a half going on two years later, it's like. I think a lot of people took advantage of her because of her kind, and gentle news, I think, did a lot of people to the of that and had thing. In this situation here that may have gotten the best of her Fortunately again, I do believe that she was a sheep, are amongst the wolves and
Some somebody did nothing to her and edges the light the really know. What happened is bad when we, no clue about what I mean, people have we have no clue, we, we've the These have. They investigated everyone with the friends our idea, and they said they were look at certainty, so what but their terminology was, will endemic ology of looking at things they followed a bread crumbs and the bread crumbs have never led on to certain people, but You tell them the circumstances of the situation. They look you with the left eye.
And they say well worded. No, they don't think today. Other people have anything to do with her and this year, but they find it unusual.
The brings us to the end of episode, one hundred and seventy three I'd like to thank everyone who spoke with us for the show, if you have a missing loved one that you'd like to have featured on the banished there's a case submission form at the vanished podcast dot com. If you'd like to contact me, there's a page and a discussion group on facebook, I'm also on twitter at the vanish pod and also on instagram. If you enjoy the show subscribe now and leave a five star review on apple podcasts or wherever you're listening right now, do you wanna help support the show? There are a couple of things that you can do. One way to help the vanished is by supporting our sponsors. You can find links and promo codes in the episode notes. Another way to support the show is by filling out a short survey at quandary dot com. Slash survey join me next time, I'll be covering a case from arkansas. Thanks for listening, the.
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Transcript generated on 2023-05-21.